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Looking ahead: Red Wings vs. Ducks, Game 4

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports
8:04 p.m. EDT May 5, 2013

Detroit Red Wings left wing Justin Abdelkader and Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf battle for the puck in the first period in game three. The Ducks lead the series 2-1.(Photo: Rick Osentoski, USA TODAY Sports)

Story Highlights

The Red Wings will be without Justin Abdelkader, who will be serving a two-game suspension

The Ducks could be without Toni Lydman, who was injured by Abdelkader's hit

When the Detroit Red Wings play the Anaheim Ducks in the crucial Game 4 of their Western Conference quarterfinal Monday night, both teams might be without players they can't afford to lose.

The Red Wings know they will be without Justin Abdelkader, who Sunday received a two-game suspension for his charging penalty against Anaheim Toni Lydman in Saturday's game. Meanwhile, the Ducks are bracing for the likelihood that Lydman won't be able to play in Game 4 because of the injury he suffered on the hit.

Boudreau said if Lydman can't play, Sheldon Souray will go back in the Anaheim lineup. He played Game 1 and Game 2, and then was scratched for Game 3 because he hadn't been playing well.

League discipline guru Brendan Shanahan based his Abdelkader decision on the fact that Abdelkader traveled a good distance before making the check, meaning he had ample time to decide where to hit Lydman. Rather than staying low and driving through Lydman's body, Abdelkader launched upward.

"We don't agree with the decision," said Detroit general manager Ken Holland. "We think it was a good, hard body check. But the decision has been made, and now we have to put someone else in and find a way to win a hockey game."

The No. 2-seeded Ducks have a 2-1 lead on the No. 7 Red Wings in the best-of-seven series, and they have outscored Detroit 7-1 over the past 82 minutes of play in the series.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock said early in the day that he did not believe Abdelkader made contact with Lydman's head.

"I think it was shoulder-to-shoulder, bent knees going into a guy and exploding through him," Babcock said. "… I know we have to protect the athletes, but I also know it's a physical game. I thought it was pretty good contact."

Babcock said Abdelkader was trying to do his job.

"I think if you're Abdelkader you finish the check, you go through people," Babcock said. "I think that's what you're supposed to do. That's what we pay him to do, be physical on the forecheck. He's done a real good job for those guys. There's no intent on his part for anyone to get hurt. You don't want anyone to get hurt."

Babcock hasn't said how he will deal with Abdelkader's absence. In terms of filling Abdelkader's spot in the lineup, his choice probably comes down to Jordin Tootoo or Todd Bertuzzi. But who would take Abdelkader's place on the top line is less clear.

Babcock could put Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on separate lines, as he has done in the past, or he could move Johan Franzen or Dan Cleary or Gustav Nyquist to the top line.

What the Red Wings have said that is that their primary mission in Game 4 is to get more pucks to the net and bodies in front to test Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller.

"I think Hiller definitely had the night off (in Game 3)," Cleary said. "We have to be hard on him. I think the focus on Monday will be getting pucks to the net from all different areas. Getting traffic. Just create some sort of chaos and confusion and make it hard on him. He's a good goalie. We have to get more chances, more traffic."

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